This week we're all about the metaverse, AI, Eurovision, and more things you love/hate, plus Spatial News™ from Finland!
Welcome to the 52 Pickup of the tech newsletter world- Spatial News™! "Here we go, yo, here we go, yo, So what, so what, so what's the scenario?" - chorus from A Tribe called Quest's "Scenario" from their classic album The Low End Theory
Metaverse, Metaverse, Metaverse:
"The darkverse is a space that will exist within this world [the metaverse] that, like today's Dark Web, will offer a safe space for free speech and expression against oppressive entities and governments. It will equally be a place for illegal and criminal activities with marketplaces that cater to a wide criminal audience."
In one of my very first interviews about the metaverse I mentioned that it will be a "virtual place for people to escape reality plus a place to work, play, and do crime" or something along those lines. It was said tongue in cheek yet everything after the 'plus' part was edited out by the interviewer because it's bad marketing to "associate that word [crime] with my work".
Totally true, but, if and when, a metaverse springs fully formed from Zeus' skullcap everything that I said will also be true. And the 'darkverse' (sheesh) will be the Shadow of the shadow realm.
🎶 "Try, try, try to separate them
It's an illusion
Try, try, try and you will only come
To this conclusion..." 🎶
No, Tom Ffiske isn't pulling a Don Quixote defending Dulcinea, the Don's unseen lady love.
"The fundamentals of the spatial internet remain strong, though with large technical challenges that companies are addressing behind closed R&D doors. I expect AI to be integrated into web-based metaverse platforms to help support the creation of worlds, and for that to help spread its development further."
☝🏽
Ay, Ay, Ai
Geoffrey Hinton, "the Godfather of AI" (or, how I like to call him, the "Godfather of Soulless"), resigned from Google saying "Right now, [AI chatbots are] not more intelligent than us, as far as I can tell. But I think they soon may be[...] I'm 75, so it's time to retire [before the scat hits the fan]". Well played, sir.
AI models are here. Can they actually improve fashion representation? As Jade McSorley, who shared the article rightfully pointed out, what's been lacking in discussion about the topic is the "perspective [of the consumers and models that this affects] instead of just the brands and companies benefitting from this technology." Right on. Besides that though, the question in the title doesn't make sense. Wouldn't artificial beings simulating humans models only represent artificial beings simulating humans models, or did I miss something?
ChatGPT, AI Technology Is Silicon Valley's Hail Mary to Avoid Collapse "Silicon Valley is hoping and praying that AI hype can keep customers and investors distracted until their balance sheets can bounce back. Sure, rushing out an unproven new technology to distract from the problems of the tech industry and global economy may be a bit ill-advised. But, hey..." Is this the 'scat hitting the fan'? (Thanks to Dr. Jeffrey Funk for sharing.)
Scientists Use GPT AI and fMRI to Passively Read People's Thoughts in Breakthrough (except that Meta already did it; I wrote about it in SN #038) It always brings a tear to my eye when people make St. George of the Clan of Orwell seem more and more like a prophet.
"You shouldn't have to register your voice or your face [they aren't your inventions, after all, but] people should have the right to have commercial control over how their likeness or voice is used in kind of the same way that patents allow inventors to block the use of their invention.
If our existing legal apparatus doesn't protect who we are, perhaps it's time for a new legal construct."
Or is this the scat hitting the fan?
(I tried to capture Keir Finlow-Bates' argument in his own words as succinctly as possible. Look, ma, no GPT-4.)
Simon Portman, is this something that the folks at Marks & Clerk are looking into?
Spatial News™ from Finland
Partnering with United Imaginations FI Warner Music Finland, our ecosystem partners at Zoan turned their digital twin of Helsinki's Senate Square into a Fortnite experience featuring Finland's popular Eurovision 2023 contestant Käärijä.
Players can explore the Square while trying to wipe out waves of zombies and bust a move to the artist's "Cha Cha Cha"-themed music.
Haven't had enough of the guy with the bowl cut?
(I honestly thought he was wearing a poorly made floatation device.)
Another of Spatial8's ecosystem partners, flyAR got tapped to create the effect.
Finland's got Eurovision fever and no amount of paracetamol or ibuprofen can help it. #prayforfinland
Upcoming Event Alert!
The conference will bring together companies, educational institutions, XR experts, technology experts, and pioneers utilizing emerging technologies from Central Finland.
The event will be in Finnish and is organized in cooperation with JAMK University of Applied Sciences and Spatial8 by the Xpand: Augmented Reality Competence Development project, funded by the Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment for Central Finland from the European Social Fund (ESF).
Put March 16th on your calendar and get ready for one of the most impressive live events of the Finnish spring!
Follow the link in the tile to check out the agenda. See you there!
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Discover the potential of virtual reality (VR) training with the upcoming podcast episode from SynergyXR, and learn how it can transform your training programs. SynergyXR's in-house experts Jakob E. Soderberg & Lasse Lorenzen will explore the opportunities and challenges of using VR to train for technical skills development, providing practical guidance on how to incorporate VR into your training programs.
But that's not all! The team at SynergyXR will also share tips and tricks on overcoming implementation challenges based on their previous experiences, and show you how VR training can enhance learning and engagement.
Don't miss out on this chance to modernize your training and improve your bottom line. Register now and discover the potential of VR training for your company's success!
Sponsored by SynergyXR
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Overhead cranes training in VR
Gleechi’s overhead crane training simulator is delivered using Virtual Reality and comes complete with a number of different types of scenarios based on real world situations. 6 different scenarios of different difficulty levels, real physics and various challenges for the user, reflecting a workday as an overhead crane operator.
Visit Gleechi's website for more information.
Sponsored by Gleechi
Thanks for joining us again this week, Spatialists!
Joh of Spatial8, who actually likes when 'scenario' is pronounced 'skenario' by Finns and Spaniards but would never be caught dead saying it that way
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